Flank Steak w/Balsamic BBQ Sauce

There is something you should know about my mother and I... we LOVE Bobby Flay. He has this tendency to make everything with lots of spices and bold flavors - and my favorite part is that everything seems to have a sauce. We have each eaten at MESA grill and watch all of his food network shows.

This recipe is a great compromise for Tuesday night dinners - Mike loves flank steak, and we love Bobby Flay. 

This BBQ sauce is better the next day, so I suggest making it a day before you want to eat it.

Balsamic BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

3 cups balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup ketchup

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, chopped

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon molasses

First, saute onion til translucent, then add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the mixture from pan and set aside. In the same pan, pour in balsamic vinegar, bring it to constant simmering boil, and reduce by half (15-30 minutes). While the balsamic vinegar reduces, assemble rest of ingredients in a bowl. When balsamic is reduced, add onion/garlic mixture and remaining ingredients to the pot, stir together, and simmer on low for 5 minutes. Finish sauce by blending with immersion blender until smooth.

 Other Ingredients:

1 flank steak - roughly 2 pounds

bread - a baguette type loaf from the bakery at your local grocery store

olive oil

cheese - whatever you have is fine, we used parmesan-reggiano

Slice the bread into strips. Heat a frying pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, cook the bread on only one side until golden brown and crispy. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil (less dishes that way) and line the bread golden brown side up. Cover with cheese. Then you will broil until melted.

For the flank steak; salt and pepper both sides, then put it on the grill for about 6 minutes per side. You want the middle to be pink when it's done. Cover with the BBQ sauce and tent it.

Assemble your dinner by cutting the flank steak into thin strips and placing it on top of the crunchy, cheesy bread. Top with the BBQ sauce, and enjoy!